In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, right, watches a test of a new rocket engine at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Korean Central News Agency, Korea News Service)
SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea fired an unspecified ballistic missile off its eastern coast Wednesday morning, according to the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
No further details were provided in a text message to reporters announcing the launch.
North Korea has carried out ballistic missile tests on four other days so far this year. The communist regime last fired several short-range ballistic weapons that flew nearly 500 miles before splashing into the Sea of Japan, also known as the East Sea.
Wednesday’s launch marks the North’s first after South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s inauguration in June. The former Democratic Party leader has vowed to be proactive in building relations with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to usher in a new era of inter-Korean relations.
This story will be updated.